ABSTRACT
The production of end-of-life equipment, known as waste of electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) or e-waste, is a direct consequence of the modern revolution of the electronic industry and of the constant evolution of technology. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), a dramatic increase in the illegal import of e-waste, 200%–400% in
CONTENTS
13.1 Introduction ................................................................................................ 329 13.2 Electric and Electronic Waste as an Important Source
of Secondary Raw Materials ....................................................................330 13.2.1 Waste Production ...........................................................................330 13.2.2 Metal and Rare Earth Elements ................................................... 332 13.2.3 Conventional Technologies for the Recovery of Metals ...........334
13.3 Biohydrometallurgy: Main Mechanisms and Involved Microorganisms .........................................................................................336 13.3.1 Fe/S-Oxidising Bacteria and Archaea ........................................ 337 13.3.2 Cyanogenic Microorganisms ....................................................... 341 13.3.3 Potential of Fungi in Metal Recovery from WEEE ...................342
13.4 State of the Art of Biohydrometallurgy in Metal Extraction from WEEE .................................................................................................343 13.4.1 Recovery of Cu and Other Base Valuable Metals from
